Little Roses
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day twenty - Quinn is visited by Mrs. Hudson.


_Three... Two (!!)... ONE (yay!) week... DAY!! Glee hiatus, the horrors! To try and make it go by faster, I decided to do this project. I'll put up one new ficlet every day (I hope...) up to the day Glee returns! So be on the lookout! :)_

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**"Little Roses"  
Quinn & Mrs. Hudson**

It had taken some adjustment not to follow Brittany and Santana to the field for Cheerio practice. Even coming to school in her regular clothes was disheartening. But she couldn't just go home after Brittany and Santana left, so she'd taken to sitting at the outdoors courtyard, doing her homework.

She was reviewing her history notes for a test the next day, when she heard…

"Quinn?"

Instinctively, she looked up. When she saw who it was that had called out her name though, she froze. The pages in her trembling hands trembled as well, and she put them down.

"Mrs. Hudson…" she spoke, once the initial shock wore off, only to be replaced by sheer panic. The woman's face was lined with concern as she stood a short distance away from the table at which Quinn sat.

"May I?" she indicated the bench across from her. Quinn barely snapped out of her daze, but she nodded as she closed the binder in front of her. After a moment, she looked back up. She didn't meet Mrs. Hudson's eyes just yet. "Finn…" the woman started and paused right away. She was nervous. "Finn told me about your… situation."

Quinn shut her eyes. Of course, she should have expected this moment to come. Part of her just held to the chance Finn would just keep it a secret from her, but deep down she knew he wouldn't. It wasn't his style. She'd made her bed, pinning Finn into the role of the father, now she would have to lie in it… with all the discomfort and the guilt.

"I… I'm sorry," she spoke after a moment. She wasn't sure how else to start. Mrs. Hudson wouldn't know the real thing she was apologizing for, and as it was she was bracing herself for anger, outrage… but she still needed to apologize.

Both were silent for a moment, though Quinn could feel Mrs. Hudson's eyes on her. She needed her to start talking, to say… something, anything…

"I wasn't sure what I would do, if I should come and find you or not. I'm not going to pretend like this wasn't… a total shock… I never thought…" she sighed, at once sounding like she'd been in a perpetual state of holding back tears since she'd been told.

Quinn imagined she probably had cried, away from Finn. She wanted to reply, but her throat refused to open.

"Was it… Have you two been…" Quinn looked up. Mrs. Hudson was having trouble even having to put into words the idea of Finn and sex. Quinn felt a twinge at this. 'No, Mrs. Hudson, your baby boy is still your baby boy.' But she couldn't tell her that. So she went for the next best thing she could tell her.

"It was just… the one time," she spoke slowly. Mrs. Hudson seemed both relieved and saddened at once.

"Are you… okay, have you gone to see a doctor?" she asked next. Quinn nodded.

"I am… I have. Everything's good," she assured her. Mrs. Hudson nodded back, looking down to her hands. Quinn did the same, unsure what else to do.

"I'm sure Finn's told you… about his father." Quinn looked up at her.

"He did." She smiled.

"It was hard on him, not having him around. But at the same time, it made him care that much more for family, the people around him."

"I've noticed," Quinn spoke quietly. "How much has he told you? About all of this?" she finally asked.

"He told me you want to put the baby up for adoption."

"Yes," Quinn nodded. "It's just better… for everyone that way. We're just not ready for something like this, we couldn't take care of her, and I couldn't put this on you or…" She stopped when she saw Mrs. Hudson's eyes well up. She didn't know what she'd said to…

"Her… It's a…" Quinn sighed.

"Girl… It is," she confirmed.

The look that came over her then… That was what she was afraid to see… a speck of joy buried among the concern and the worry. If she let Mrs. Hudson let this baby in her heart, only to break it… she'd never forgive herself. But she couldn't just pull the rug out from under her either.

"I know it may seem like I'm just… taking the easy way out…" she shook her head. She felt a hand cover hers. She looked up to Mrs. Hudson.

"No one will think that of you. And if someone does… it won't be me," she shook her head. Now it was Quinn's turn to well up. "You're giving that little girl a life. I'd say that's a good thing." She nodded, brushing at the first tears.

"That what I've been telling myself."

"Have you told your parents?" Quinn looked down to her hand, which Mrs. Hudson was still holding.

"No… I… I can't," she shook her head. "You don't know them, it's…"

"They'll notice eventually," she nodded to her midsection.

"I know," Quinn looked down at herself.

"Look, I realize this must all be very overwhelming for you. If you need help with anything…"

No… she wasn't going to take her money. That was never going to happen. No matter how difficult it may have been to get by, she couldn't in good conscience take money from her.

Mrs. Hudson seemed to understand that somehow. "Anything," she gave her a nod. Quinn looked back at her.

"Well… I wanted to try to fix some of my clothes, with…" she nodded down to herself. She looked back up awkwardly. "I don't know how to do that," she admitted. Mrs. Hudson smiled.

"I think I might know a thing or two about that. You just bring them to me, I'll take care of it."

"Okay," Quinn agreed. Her instinct was to tell her she'd pay for it, but she knew… she wasn't going to take Mrs. Hudson's money, and Mrs. Hudson wouldn't take hers. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," she nodded.

"No, I w… I need to," Quinn shook her head. "It means a lot… more than you'd ever know…" she felt her tears renew in earnest.

A moment later, Mrs. Hudson had moved to the other side, to her bench, and taken her into a hug. Quinn responded, too emotional to resist it.

"I'm sorry… Can't seem to stop…"

"Just blame the hormones, honey. That's what they're there for." Quinn laughed through the tears, as they pulled apart. Mrs. Hudson gave her cheek a touch. "You'll be okay," she nodded.

After Mrs. Hudson had left, Quinn didn't have it in her to keep studying… not for a while. She felt conflict and nothing else would stay in her mind. Mrs. Hudson had given her something more precious than money… She had someone looking out for her in a way she'd been lacking since all this had started.

It terrified her to think what might happen if or when she learned Quinn had lied to her… abused her kindness because… she needed it. It took having Mrs. Hudson in her camp to see how alone she'd been feeling. She needed… a mother, and Mrs. Hudson was giving her that… and the truth could break both of their hearts.

THE END


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